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Cardinals say no

The Cardinals have decided not to offer arbitration to any of their free agents, general manager John Mozeliak said on Monday. Russ Springer is a Type A, while Braden Looper and Jason Isringhausen are Type Bs, but with this decision, all can be signed without Draft pick compensation.

-M.

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Seems reasonable to me. I’d have been tempted to offer to Loop, but not a huge deal. The others, except maybe Springer, seem clear.
Anybody know what the draft class of 2009 is expected to be like? Is there enough talent in it to make late-first-round draft slots particularly appealing? From what I’ve read, the answer is likely “no,” but I’m not expert at reading the tea leaves.

when you say you offer arbitration what does that mean? Does that mean you have to offer as much as they made last year or do you have to increase it by a certain percentage if they are a certain type of guy? That is why I said offer a small salary, I wasn’t aware they had to offer a certain amount if indeed that is the case. Again though even if he accepted and didn’t refuse your still keeping our pitcher that was our most consistent releiver and had a better ERA then anyone that pitched more then 15 innings last year by at least 1 run. I understand Braden Looper and even Izzy..I just am perplexed about Springer unless they are completely convinced the young kids really will do as well as he did.

Well, here’s the thing — you don’t offer a dollar number when you offer arbitration. So you can’t offer a small amount to get a draft pick. You offer arbitration, with the inherent risk that if the player accepts, you may be stuck with an arbitration-determined salary.

They can continue to negotiate, and hope to sign a relatively low-dollar deal if both sides are interested. But simply offering a contract at a low value doesn’t ensure a draft pick.

The way I understand arbitration is that when a team offers it to a player no money is mentioned at that point.
Even if the player rejects arbitration the team gets the draft picks. If it goes all the way to arbitration there is a rule that says the player can not be offered more than a 20% pay cut from the previous year. The team and the player each submit offers to the aritrator. He then picks one or the other. Springer made $3.5 mil last year and with free agent releivers signing for about $4 mil I think the Cards were afraid he might get at least that. Plus the pen is loaded with righties. The Cards need 2 lefties in the pen and are hoping to spend about $2 mil apiece. That leaves more money for possibly signing a big name. Maybe?

I think the Cards made the right decision in not offering arbitration to anyone. Having said that, I hate that the best move was no move at all. That’s getting very old, and I’m getting more and more impatient with the lack of verifiable action on the part of the front office. I’m hoping that the third “mystery team” that Furcal’s agent referred to is indeed the Cardinals. But I have strong doubt, due to this lack of action so far. Why be so secretive?

I don’t think the Cards are being overly secretive. What have we heard from other teams? Is everbody being secretive?
I think Mo is waiting as long as possible to see what happens with Carpenter.
He might also be playing poker, not showing all his cards too early.
And he is probably waiting to see how the free agent market takes shape and the economy. An indicator would be pre-season ticket sales and advertising contracts.

The enonmy is going to be a big factor. Look at GM. No Super Bowl commercials and they have cut their NASCAR ads. Fed Ex has dropped their Super Bowl ads. I read that there are at least 9 Super Bowl ad spots unsold and usually by now they are all sold.
I think the big names will sign first, then the market and the money will dry up some and the middle tier free agents will be waiting for awhile as the smaller market teams wait to see how things are going.

Usually by now there is more action. What’s different than the last few years? The economy. I think this year patience will really pay off.

What have we heard from other teams? Seriously? Are you paying attention? We know that the Cubs have pursued Jake Peavy. We know the Braves have tried. We know the Braves want to trade one of their middle infielders. We know that the Yankees are pusuing specific players. We know the Red Sox are pursuing certain guys. We know some teams have made offers to certain players.We know a lot more about other teams than we do our own team. All we know about our team is that we re-signed Kyle Lohse, and just today, finally cut a deal with Trevor Miller.

As much as I would love to have all those leaks to write about, I honestly believe it’s part of why this team has been successful over the years. They keep things quiet. It was Walt’s way, and Mo learned it from him.

They acquired Larry Walker, and it was quiet up until it happened. Drew/Wainwright/Marquis, same way. If you’re a fan, it’s a good thing that they keep things quiet. As a scribe, not my favorite thing. But for the good of getting things done, I’d definitely argue that keeping things quiet is beneficial.

Judge them on the team that comes to Jupiter, not what it looks like today.

I understand that it has been quiet before. My question, though, is why? Other teams aren’t so secretive, and they have been successful too. I don’t understand why it’s beneficial to do that. Is it a way of keeping contracts lower. Does putting the info out there somehow increase market value?

Blabbing often nixes a trade. That definitely can happen and has happened — when it gets out, the deal is off the books.

As for negotiating contracts, yeah, the fewer teams that are publicly known to be in on a player, the lower the cost. It’s IMO absolutely the smart way to do business. Even if it’s frustrating as someone trying to cover the team.

Yes, I have not been asleep. There are 171 free agents this year. As of today, 5 have signed, including Miller. The Cards also resigned Loshe and Larue. How many have the Cubs or Brewers signed or resigned? The Cards were also in on Holliday and Renteria and Alfedt. They have also signed two relief pitchers to minor league contracts with invites to spring training.
I think they have interest in Wolfe a free agent left handed pitcher from Houston and are also in on Rhodes and I think they are talking to the Braves about Escobar or Kelly.
So what’s this about secrecy and NOTHING happening?
Wait until the winter meetings. This is not fast food.

Now on to another question. Once the Giants sign Renteria I wonder what they will do with their young SS prospect, Emmanual Burris? Does he have potential? He is young.
Or are they keeping him for when Edgar’s two years are up?

Well, we have blown it with so many players we needed: Holiday, Burnett, Hudson, etc., maybe management will see fit to throw us a bone and make the deal for Jake Peavy. We could at least compete with the Cubs, and possibly the Phils if we signed him and Burrell. What are the odds? By the way, Jason Motte and Chris Perez are ready to ‘close by committee.’ We don’t need to blow everything on one closer!

Secretrative……………………… that’s just like the middle of the season last year when the Cubs are making a great deal, the Brewers are signing Sabathia and MO says ” I think we are pretty well set with our pitching” What a joke. They knew Carpenter’s chances weren’t good to come back, Wainwright wasn’t going to be strong and yet we did nothing. Secretrative means we aren’t going to do anything that requires them to spend money. Make a list for us of the players we have signed in the last four years that were being released by someone else. Such as, Preston Wilson, Ron Belliard, Isturuz (a utility player for the worst team in our division to replace a World Series MVP) and yet we have no sports writer that has the courage to “rip” our owners for letting one of the greatest franchises go down the tube. These owners must have a lot of political pull with the press, even if they don’t have any money.

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